Luk. 10:13-14 ... "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."
Concerning the limit of His ministry, Jesus said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," (Mat. 15:24). In other words, His field of labor was confined to the nation of Israel. And so He traveled from region to region and town to town where Jews lived, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. As He preached, He also confirmed the power behind His message by performing what He called "mighty works." Jesus Himself pointed out what these mighty works were when He said, "The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up," (Matt. 11:5). The Gentiles did not have the benefit of hearing Jesus' authoritative sermons or witnessing these supernatural demonstrations of power, for Jesus faithfully observed His limitation of going only to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Had it been His mission to do so, however, He assured us that the people would have "repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."
An incident reported by Matthew indicates the truth of Jesus' assurance. On one occasion He "withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon." This means He traveled along their border with Israel rather than actually entering their territory itself. But in such close proximity to the Gentiles, Jesus met a woman of that racial identity. She was a Syrophoenician, having ancestors who were both Syrian and Phoenician. While discussing with her His ability to heal her daughter, Jesus was greatly impressed with the woman's spiritual perception and said, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire," (Mat. 15:28). Jesus perceived that such a response of faith would be general among the population of Tyre and Sidon.
In contrast, the Jewish people of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin who had been privileged to hear Jesus preach and witness His great demonstrations of power had, to a great extent, rejected Him in stubborn disbelief and impenitence. And so He warned them that "it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for" any Jewish town that rejected Him, (Luk. 10:12). Jesus did not say that the sins of Gentiles would be excused at the Judgment, but that the disbelieving Jews would be judged more severely than they.
There is an important lesson in this for us today. We must conclude that he who has the greater opportunity also has greater responsibility. The Jews had the greater opportunity in being the direct objects of Jesus' personal ministry. Therefore, they will be the more responsible, and hence more accountable, in the Judgment than the Gentiles. Are we not today in the same position as those 1st Century Jews? More than ever before we have opportunities to respond to God in faith and obedience. By means of radio, television, the Internet, and mass printing we are able to present the Gospel to greater numbers of people in shorter time than any Christians before us. We have freedom of religion and speech such as few people have ever been permitted. And we have greater material resources (wealth) with which to serve God that make us quite rich in comparison to most of God's servants in previous generations, even in this country. With all these unprecedented advantages and opportunities there seems no doubt that we have more responsibility than Christians before us. And what about those poor people who have lived in conditions that precluded their ever having received the Gospel? We must seize our opportunities and utilize them as much as possible lest the Lord also look upon us and say that, because we have had the greater opportunity, the judgment upon us will be more severe.
